Life in the Navy was eye-opening for a young sailor

Linus Doll poses with Bill Faulwetter and his sons in San Diego in 1944. Submitted photo

There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that any and all military veterans could sit down and tell many interesting stories about the time spent serving their country.

After much prodding from family members, other relatives and friends, I finally decided to write about my time in the U.S. Navy.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, I was 15 years old. There was a national hatred of Japan and we all wanted to do our part to get revenge. As the war progressed, we all knew that we would either be drafted or we could enlist in the branch of service we would choose.

I was always intrigued by ships - especially submarines - so it took no time at all for me to decide to enlist in the Navy.

After turning 17 years old in April of 1943 and graduating from high school in June, I had to talk my parents into signing for me in order to join the Navy. My parents consented, but under one condtion: I could not be inducted until after Christmas and New Year's Day.

So my stint in the Navy began in January 1944. I went to Great Lakes Naval Station in Great Lakes, Ill., near Chicago, and went on my first-ever train ride.

I was inducted, given the required physical examination and got that dreadful first haircut that made me look like Telly Savalas. I was issued my uniforms, then put on another train and headed out to Faragut, Idaho.

Whoever heard of a Navy Base in the mountains? But that's where I received my basic training.

Good, ol' boot camp. It lasted about six or eight weeks and while we were there everyone was given a written test which would help the Navy to determine what each sailor was best qualified for. I almost flipped when I was informed that I had been selected to report to Torpedo School in San Diego, Calif.

The first thing that came to my mind was, "Well, submarines shoot torpedoes." So far, so good.

While in boot camp, all enlisted men are classified as apprentice seamen. After completing boot camp, we were promoted to Seamen 2nd Class.

Another train ride took me all the way down the West Coast to the Naval Training Base at San Diego for Class A Torpedoman's School. From there, I went to the Repair Base for advanced school and training. I spent 13 weeks in San Diego and I loved every minute of it.

I loved that I had and an aunt and uncle living in San Diego. Every chance I had, I would spend my free time with one or the other of them. There was also a Fond du Lac family, the Faulwetters, who lived on West Scott Street when I did and they had a home in San Diego. They would invite me to spend time with them. I had it made.

All that good stuff came to an end when I completed Torpedoman School and was assigned aboard a Navy destroyer (the destroyers also launch torpedoes). I soon learned why I was assigned to a surface ship and not a submarine.

While at torpedo school, we had to take another physical and it was determined at that time that I would never be able to withstand the pressure of being submerged because of my sinuses. There was nothing I could do about it, so off to Pearl Harbor I went.

I got seasick for a day or so, but it didn't last very long. After spending a couple of days in Hawaii, I was assigned to a ship that was headed west. And that's when the real fun began.

I was assigned to the USS Tingey DD539. The only way to get me there was by going from ship to ship. That is a bit tricky when you are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and both ships are moving at a fairly good speed.

To accomplish ship transfer, you have to send a large line over from one ship to the other, putting the main line through a pulley on both ships and have eight or more sailors on each ship keep tension on the line so it doesn't sag. Another pulley is attached so it can follow over the main line with a boatswain's chair hanging down from the pulley. All I had to do was sit in the chair and have the sailors pull me across.

I had the option of praying.

Before I finally caught up with my ship, I had to take seven of these chair rides. There is one I will never forget. The two ships involved didn't have a boatswain's chair. They used a large seabag instead. I had to stand inside the bag and about halfway over, the two ships rolled toward each other, the line started to sag and before the sailors could correct the sag out of the line, I slapped the water below me.

While it was "close," I survived. No cigar.

I finally caught up with my ship and could now get down to the business of fighting the Japanese. I figured that had to be safer than what I just went through.

Once I finally got settled on the destroyer, I met my new shipmates and received the necessary orders. I soon learned we were at war.